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(11) | EP 0 925 242 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
A DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING OBJECTS VORRICHTUNG ZUM TRANSPORTIEREN VON GEGENSTÄNDEN DISPOSITIF POUR TRANSPORTER DES OBJETS |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0001] The invention relates to a device for transporting objects comprising a first conveyor, a vertically adjustable end of which is positioned near vertically adjustable ends of at least two further conveyors positioned one above the other, all this in such a manner that in a first position of said conveyors the end of said first conveyors joins the end of one of said further conveyors, and that in a second position of said cnveyors the end of said first conveyor joins the end of another one of said further conveyors.
[0002] Such devices are known per se (e.g. NL 6604786). The vertically adjustable ends of the conveyors are thereby connected to a complicated and heavy crank-connecting rod mechanism, which takes up a relatively great deal of space.
[0003] The object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind, wherein the vertically adjustable ends of the conveyor can be adjusted in vertical direction by simple and light means.
[0004] According to the invention this objective can be accomplished in that the vertically adjustable ends of said conveyors are interconnected by means of a flexible connecting element, which comprises two parts extending from a guide mechanism positioned above the vertically adjustable ends of the conveyors in the direction of the ends of said conveyors, whereby one part is connected to said first conveyor and the other part is connected to said further conveyors.
[0005] When using the construction according to the invention the vertically adjustable ends of the conveyors can be interconnected in a simple manner by means of one or more flexible connecting elements, such as chains, cables or the like, whereby one part will move down while the other moves up, and vice versa, if said connecting element is being moved by a suitable drive mechanism, whereby the ends of the conveyors connected to said parts will move up and down with said parts.
[0006] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention said device comprises three further conveyors positioned one above the other, whereby said first conveyors extends at least substantially in line with the middle one of said three conveyors when occupying a central position, and whereby said first conveyor slopes upwards or downwards in the direction of the upper or the lower one of said three conveyors when occupying two different positions.
[0007] In this manner a particularly efficient device can be obtained, by means of which objects supplied via a conveyor can be selectively delivered to any one of three conveyors positioned one above the other, or by means of which objects supplied via three conveyors can be discharged via one conveyor. Such a device of comparatively simple construction makes it possible to realise an effective handling in a limited amount of space of objects to be handled in warehouses or the like, for example.
[0008] The invention will be explained in more detail hereafter with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic Figures.
[0009] Figure 1 diagrammatically shows an arrangement of a first conveyor in three positions, which conveyor co-operates with three conveyors positioned one above the other, which are likewise shown in three possible positions.
[0010] Figure 2 diagrammatically shows the arrangement of the conveyors with a drive mechanism for moving the vertically adjustable ends of said conveyors in vertical direction.
[0011] The device shown in Figure 1 comprises a first conveyor 1, which is made up of two aligned conveyor belts 2 and 3 in the illustrated embodiment. The first conveyor, which is made up of conveyor belts 2 and 3, can be pivoted upwards about a pivot pin 4 located near the end of conveyor belt 2 remote from conveyor belt 3, from a central position a, in which the two conveyors belts 2 and 3, which are in line in the illustrated embodiment, take up a substantially horizontal position, to a position b, in which the aligned conveyor belts 2 and 3 slope upwards, and a position c, in which the aligned conveyor belts 2 and 3 slope downwards.
[0012] The device furthermore comprises three conveyors 5, 6 and 7 positioned one above the other, which are built up of two adjoining conveyor belts 5', 5'', 6', 6'' and 7', 7'' respectively in the illustrated embodiment.
[0013] As will furthermore be apparent from Figure 1, the conveyor belts 5', 6', 7' can be pivoted about pivot pins located near conveyor belts 5'', 6'', 7'', from a central position d, in which conveyor belts 5', 6', 7' extend at least substantially horizontally, to a downwardly sloping position e and an upwardly sloping position f.
[0014] When conveyor belts 5', 6' and 7' extend horizontally, also conveyor 1 will take up a horizontal position, so that conveyors 1 and 6 will be in line and objects can thus be transferred from conveyor 1 to conveyor 6 or from conveyor 6 to conveyor 1, depending on the selected use of the device.
[0015] When conveyor belts 5', 6', 7' are pivoted to the upwardly sloping position e, conveyor 1 will be pivoted to the downwardly sloping position c, all this in such a manner that conveyor 1 is at least substantially in line with conveyor belt 7', so that objects to be transported can be transferred from conveyor 1 to conveyor 7, or vice versa.
[0016] When conveyor belts 5', 6', 7' are pivoted to the downwardly sloping position f, conveyor 1 will be pivoted to the upwardly sloping position b, so that conveyor 1 will join conveyor belt 5' of conveyor 5, and objects can thus be transferred from conveyor 1 to conveyor 5, or vice versa.
[0017] Of course it is possible to connect further transport means 8 to the ends of conveyors 1 and conveyors 5-7 that face away from each other, as is diagrammatically indicated on the left in Figure 1.
[0018] Although the use of conveyor belts is mentioned in the above description, it will be apparent that also other types of conveyors may be used, for example roller conveyors, whether or not in combination with belt conveyors.
[0019] Furthermore conveyors 1, 5, 6 and 7 may be built up of more or of fewer parts than is shown in Figure 1.
[0020] The mechanism shown in Figure 2 may be used efficiently for moving the opposite ends of conveyors 1 and 5-7 in vertical direction. In this Figure parts that correspond with parts shown in Figure 1 are indicated by the same numerals as in Figure 1.
[0021] As is shown in Figure 2, the ends of two flexible connecting elements 9 and 10, which are for example made up of cables or of chains, are connected to the vertically movable end of conveyor 1. The parts of connecting elements 9 and 10 that connect to conveyor 1 extend upwards in the direction of two pulleys 12 and 13 mounted on a shaft 11, which form a guide mechanism, and from which further parts of said flexible connecting elements extend downwards, said further parts being coupled to vertically adjustable ends of conveyor belts 5', 6' and 7' facing towards conveyor 1.
[0022] Shaft 11 can be rotated via a transmission mechanism 14 by means of a motor 15. It will be apparent that when shaft 11 is rotated in clockwise direction, seen in Figure 2, the vertically movable end of conveyor 1 will move upwards and the vertically movable ends of conveyor belts 5', 6' and 7' will move downwards. Conversely, when shaft 11 is rotated in ani-clockwise direction, the vertically movable end of conveyor 1 will move downwards and the ends of conveyor belts 5', 6' and 7' facing towards said first conveyor will move upwards.
1. A device for transporting objects comprising a first conveyor (1), a vertically adjustable
end of which is positioned near vertically adjustable ends of at least two further
conveyors (5, 6) positioned one above the other, all this in such a manner that in
a first position of said conveyors the end of said first conveyor (1) joins the end
of one (5) of said further conveyors (5, 6), and that in a second position of said
conveyors the end of said first conveyor (1) joins the end of another one (6) of said
further conveyors (5, 6), characterized in that the vertically adjustable ends of
said conveyors (1, 5, 6) are interconnected by means of a flexible connecting element
(9, 10), which comprises two parts extending from a guide mechanism (12, 13) positioned
above the vertically movable ends of the conveyors (1, 5, 6) in the direction of the
ends of said conveyors (1, 5, 6), whereby one part is connected to said first conveyor
(1) and the other part is connected to said further conveyors (5, 6).
2. A device according claim 1, characterized in that said device comprises three further
conveyors (5, 6, 7) positioned one above the other, whereby said first conveyor (1)
extends at least substantially in line with the middle one (6) of said three conveyors
(5, 6, 7) when occupying a central position, and whereby said first conveyor (1) slopes
upwards and downwards in the direction of the upper (5) or the lower (6) one of said
three conveyors (5, 6, 7) when occupying two different positions.
3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said flexible connecting
element (9, 10) is carried over a pulley (12, 13) positioned above the vertically
movable ends of the conveyors (1, 5, 6, 7).
1. Vorrichtung zum Transportieren von Gegenständen, umfassend einen ersten Förderer (1),
wobei ein vertikal einstellbares Ende von diesem nahe vertikal einstellbaren Enden
von mindestens zwei weiteren Förderern (5, 6), welche übereinander angeordnet sind,
angeordnet ist, all dies derart, daß in einer ersten Position der Förderer das Ende
des ersten Förderers (1) an das Ende eines (5) der weiteren Förderer (5, 6) anschließt
und daß in einer zweiten Position der Förderer das Ende des ersten Förderers (1) an
das Ende eines anderen (6) der weiteren Förderer (5, 6) anschließt, dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß die vertikal einstellbaren Enden der Förderer (1, 5, 6) miteinander über ein flexibles
Verbindungselement (9, 10) verbunden werden, welches zwei Teile umfaßt, die sich in
Richtung der Enden der Förderer (1, 5, 6) von einem Führungsmechanismus (12, 13) wegerstrecken,
welcher über den vertikal beweglichen Enden der Förderer (1, 5, 6) angeordnet ist,
wobei ein Teil mit dem ersten Förderer (1) verbunden ist und der andere Teil mit den
weiteren Förderern (5, 6) verbunden ist.
2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Vorrichtung drei weitere
Förderer umfaßt (5, 6, 7), welche übereinander angeordnet sind, wobei der erste Förderer
(1), wenn er eine mittlere Position einnimmt, sich mit dem mittleren (6) der drei
Förderer (5, 6, 7) zumindest im wesentlichen ausgefluchtet erstreckt und wobei der
erste Förderer (1), wenn er zwei andere Positionen einnimmt, nach oben und unten in
Richtung des oberen (5) oder des unteren (6) der drei Förderer (5, 6, 7) geneigt verläuft.
3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das flexible Verbindungselement
(9, 10) über eine Scheibe (12, 13) getragen wird, welche über den vertikal beweglichen
Enden der Förderer (1, 5, 6, 7) angeordnet ist.
1. Dispositif pour transporter des objets, comprenant un premier convoyeur (1) dont une
extrémité verticalement réglable est placée près d'extrémités verticalement réglables
d'au moins deux autres convoyeurs (5,6) placés l'un au-dessus de l'autre, tout ceci
d'une manière telle que, dans une première position desdits convoyeurs, l'extrémité
dudit premier convoyeur (1) se raccorde à l'extrémité d'un (5) desdits autres convoyeurs
(5,6), et en ce que, dans une deuxième position desdits convoyeurs, l'extrémité dudit
premier convoyeur (1) se raccorde à l'extrémité d'un autre (6) desdits autres convoyeurs
(5,6), caractérisé en ce que les extrémités verticalement réglables desdits convoyeurs
(1,5,6) sont interconnectées au moyen d'un élément de liaison souple (9,10) qui comprend
deux parties s'étendant à partir d'un mécanisme de guidage (12,13) placé au-dessus
des extrémités verticalement mobiles des convoyeurs (1,5,6) dans la direction des
extrémités des dits convoyeurs (1,5,6), de sorte qu'une partie est connectée audit
premier convoyeur et l'autre partie est connectée aux dits autres convoyeurs (5,6).
2. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que ledit dispositif comprend
trois autres convoyeurs (5,6,7) placés les uns au-dessus des autres, de sorte que
ledit premier convoyeur (1) s'étend au moins sensiblement en ligne avec le convoyeur
central (6) desdits trois convoyeurs (5,6,7) lorsqu'il occupe une position centrale,
et de sorte que ledit premier convoyeur (1) s'incline vers le haut et vers le bas
dans la direction du convoyeur supérieur (5) ou du convoyeur inférieur (6) desdits
trois convoyeurs (5,6,7) lorsqu'il occupe deux positions différentes.
3. Dispositif selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que ledit élément de liaison
souple (9,10) est porté sur une poulie (12,13) placée au-dessus des extrémités verticalement
mobiles des convoyeurs (1,5,6,7).